Happy March, Vikings!

I don't know about you, Vikings, but I am already feeling signs of spring! We will spring forward in a few short days - March 10th, and at 11:06 pm on March 19th, we'll observe the spring equinox. But who's counting, right?

In March, Schreiber counselors continue course planning meetings with students. Don't forget to look below for the schedule. Even if you missed your appointment, you can see your counselor during makeup week. Every student must meet with their counselor for course selection.

There's much more to come in March. Be sure to check with your counselor if you have questions about FAFSA, course planning, and more. Continue to stay tuned to our website, this newsletter, and your inbox for more information from Schreiber Guidance and Counseling.

Have a great month!

Lorrie Director, Pre-K-12 Director of Guidance

Follow me on Twitter!

Guidance Office phone: (516) 767-5810

Office Hours: 8:00 am - 3:15 pm

Counselors:

Ms. Cerny ncerny@portnet.org

Ms. Locrotondo (in for Ms. Garcia) blocrotondo@portnet.org

Ms. Jacobson ljacobson@portnet.org

Ms. Hazan khazan@portnet.org

Mr. Lorge jlorge@portnet.org

Ms. Ludwig jludwig@portnet.org

Ms. Poma jpoma@portnet.org

Ms. Rafferty drafferty@portnet.org

Ms. Strell dstrell@portnet.org

Clerical staff:

Ms. Hasselberger, Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Marzec, Ms. O'Kelly

Have you heard?? Schreiber's room 112 has been rebranded with a new vision..the Viking COVE. The COVE is our College and Career Office of Viking Exploration, and a place for all students to learn about post-secondary opportunities. The COVE is the home for college rep visits, workshops, and other information sessions. Students, have any ideas for the Cove? Feel free to stop by Ms. Director's office to discuss.

In addition to reading this newsletter, please check the Schreiber Guidance and Counseling website for up to date information from our department. Previous newsletters are also on our webpage for your reference. Students, be sure to check our bulletin board regularly and listen to daily announcements, and get in the habit of checking your Portnet email regularly to stay up to date! Previous newsletters are also on our webpage for your reference.

Schreiber Guidance and Counseling

Attention all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students,

Your Schreiber school counselors met with freshmen and sophomores in February to plan for next year. Juniors, your turn is next. Each student will be scheduled for a 15 minute appointment with their counselor to discuss their academic planning for next year. The schedules will be posted on the Schreiber Guidance bulletin board (outside the main office) on the Thursday prior to scheduling. Students, be sure to check the board and take a photo of your appointment.

Each grade has a designated "scheduling week." The schedule is as follows:

Grade 9: Week of February 12-16 (schedule posted by Thursday, Feb. 8)

Grade 10: Week of February 26 - March 1 (schedule posted by Thursday, Feb. 15)

Grade 11: Week of March 4-8 (schedule posted by Thursday, Feb. 29)

Make ups will take place during the week of March 11-15. Any student who did not attend their originally scheduled appointment will meet with their counselor during this week. The Program Planning Guide has been shared on the Schreiber website. You can access it here.

Seniors, each day we are learning of more colleges that will extend their commitment date beyond May 1st. If you are experiencing difficulty submitting your FAFSA, please speak to your counselor. We are here to help. You must also check your college's financial aid website for the most up to date information.

The Federal Government said on Tuesday, January 29th that they need more time to fix a mistake on the FAFSA (Washington Post, January 30th, 2024). This delay means that colleges will receive students' FAFSA in March, and financial aid awards will be shared with accepted students in April.

We expect this will create many questions from our students and parents. We do, however, encourage all students to submit the FAFSA. By filling out the FAFSA, this may unlock merit scholarships and other need-based aid.

For the latest updates, check the U.S. Department of Education website here. Be sure to check with your college's financial aid offices for information on their procedures.

Join Schreiber Guidance as we host dozens of college representatives who want to meet YOU, our students! College panels will take place from 6:30-7:20 and the fair will be from 7:30-9. We will post the attendees on the Guidance bulletin board as we get closer to the fair.

The Colleges That Change Lives, or CTCL, is a group of 44 colleges whose mission is to promote the advancement of a student-centered college search process. This group of outstanding higher education institutions will visit New York City on Saturday, March 9th, 2023 from 11:00am to 1:00 pm. For information and to register, click the link below.

Parents, join Mrs. Poma, our Post-secondary counselor for webinars on topics related to college and career. Webinars will be held twice per month and will focus on a new topic each time.

March schedule:

Thursday, March 7, 2024, 9:30 am: Knowing your values: Learn how family discussions about values help students' college and career development.

Thursday, March 21, 2024, 9:30 am: Planning for junior year: Everything you need to know and how to support your student.

*A link will be shared prior to the webinar.

Click this link for recordings from previous chats.

Students registered to take the SAT this spring must access Bluebook, the College Board software students use to take the test. The Bluebook app can be accessed through APPS in the lower left corner of the screen prior to logging into your Chromebook. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the online registration through Bluebook prior to test day.

On test day, students must use their fully charged, district issued Chromebooks to take the exam. We cannot support personal devices on test day. If you have any questions about how to access Bluebook, please see an ITA at Schreiber.

Method Test Prep is offering students and parents free resources to help with SAT/ACT, and to help you plan for college. Click the link below for information and to register for a free webinar.

Hi, my name is Charlie Dubofsky and I am reaching out on behalf of the Hero Project. I am a sophomore at Jericho High School. I founded the Hero Project, a bereavement group for teenagers, along with Sydney Hassenbein, a junior from Roslyn High School. I lost my father in February 2023 and Sydney lost her brother only a few months later in April. It was unfortunate that we had to connect under these circumstances, but these tragedies brought us together. After having several conversations we have found it to be beyond beneficial to talk to someone who is going through something similar that is in the same age group.

We created the Hero Project. This group is a free, open space that is open to anyone who is grieving a loved one or wants to learn how to support a grieving friend.

We meet once a month at the JCC and discuss different aspects of grief and how we handle certain milestones or challenges. JCC social workers are involved in every meeting in case someone needs assistance.

With this email, I hope that you are able to spread the word within your community to anyone who may find this useful. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to myself, Sydney, or one of the social workers (see emails below.)

Below, you can see the attached flyer with details about our next meeting. We appreciate any support we can get.

Seniors,

• As you receive decisions from your schools, you must update your Naviance accounts. Don't be shy! This information will help future Schreiber applicants and you will remain anonymous!
• Time to file your FAFSA! Check your colleges' deadlines for filing.
  
• Does your college require the CSS Profile? Click here for a list of participating schools.
• Apply for scholarships! Fastweb and Scholarships.com are good places to start. The Community Scholarship application opens January 31st!
• Remember to check your Portnet email! Be sure your contact information is up to date in ASPEN and on Naviance.
• Have questions? Come to Guidance for more information.

Seniors,

The deadline to submit your community scholarship applications has been extended to Wednesday, March 6! This will be the last day to submit your applications, so be sure you apply!

The 2024 Community Scholarship application is now LIVE! Through the generosity of local Port Washington sponsors, thousands of scholarship dollars will be awarded on Senior Awards Night on June 12. But first, you need to apply! The deadline to apply is Friday, March 1st. Seniors received an invitation to the Class of 2024 Community Scholarship Google Classroom this week. To access the application, you must check your Portnet email and accept the invitation to join. You will find descriptions of each scholarship, there, and you must submit your completed applications to the classroom. Families, information about the Community Scholarship can be found on our website by clicking here.

New York State Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti announced that the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators is accepting applications for four $3000 scholarships, two academic and two athletic. Scholarships are available to residents of the 16th Assembly District who are current college students or high school seniors entering college. Applicants need not be of Italian-American heritage to apply. See below for more information and for the link:

Seniors, the New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators are offering scholarships to members of the Class of 2024. Applicants must be current high school seniors. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2024. Winners will be announced in April. To apply, click here.

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For High School Senior Parents | FSA ID Creation

Students and contributors (parents or spouses) are required to have an FSA ID to complete and sign the FAFSA online. FSA IDs should be created in advance so accounts exist prior to completing the FAFSA. Join us for a step-by-step guide. Parents can register here: Walk Through FSA ID for Parents

For EOP Applicants Only | EOP Completion Workshops

EOP Form Completion events are designed for EOP applicants who have already submitted an application to a SUNY school via applySUNY or the Common Application and are seeking assistance with the completion of their required EOP Financial Information Form. Applicants can register here: EOP Form Completion

For High School Seniors | Application Workshops

For those seniors who have yet to submit their SUNY applications, help is available. These workshops provide an overview of the application process, as well as step-by-step information on completing the SUNY Application. Registration is available here: How to Apply.

For High School Juniors | SUNY Overview

Introduce the Class of 2025 to SUNY! We offer "Which SUNY Are You?" sessions throughout the spring, as well as EOP Information and Financial Aid sessions. Students can register for all workshops here: suny.edu/studentevents.

More Good News From SUNY

University at Buffalo computer science student, Holliday Sims, was recognized by Governor Hochul during the State of the State address for her research utilizing AI to foster positive societal change. Read more

Nassau Community College alumni Billy Crystal and SUNY Potsdam alumni Renee Fleming are honored by the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for lifetime artistic achievements. Read more

Jamestown Community College, along with 14 other SUNY campuses, was recognized as one of AmeriCorps' Schools of National Service. Read more

Alfred State has earned a U.S. Department of Education grant for more than $2 million for its Degrees That Work project. Read more

Dear students and parents of the Class of 2025,

Schreiber school counselors are eager to begin junior planning conferences next week. This is a kind reminder for students to submit their planning documents to their counselor's Google classroom at least five days before your meeting. This gives your counselor sufficient time to read through your documents and consider appropriate options prior to your conference. Students, if you haven't joined your counselor's Google classroom, QR codes are posted on the Guidance bulletin board for you to scan. Counselors have all shared their appointment calendars with students, but if you have any questions, please come to Guidance and Counseling.

Documents can also be found on the website by clicking here.

Juniors, if you or your families were unable to attend the meeting on Dec. 13th to discuss the post-secondary process at Schreiber, click here to watch a recording of the presentation.

Juniors! Have you checked out the college planning guide that was released last month? Click the link below for everything you wanted to know about applying to college. It's a great resource you'll use over and over again as you prepare for life after Schreiber. Be sure to read it prior to your junior conference, and come prepared with questions to ask. Bookmark this link, because you'll be using this over and over again over the coming months.

The 2024 Spring College Expo hosted by the Nassau Counselor Association will be Tuesday, April 16 from 5:30 - 8:30 pm. Don't miss this opportunity to meet with college representatives from your schools. Click the QR code in the attached flyer for more information.

Stay tuned to this newsletter for details on this popular Guidance event. Juniors will learn tips and strategies to begin their college essays before summer break!

Are you interested in getting a quick sense of where your son or daughter stands as far as the SAT and ACT? Port Washington provides all families with access to Methodize, a learning tool that includes an SAT and ACT Evaluation Test. Students take short (15 to 25 minute) sections and get an accurate sense of where they stand.

Click on the QR code to activate your son or daughter's Methodize account. Again, there is no cost to the family; the district is already providing this program to all students.

Once you activate the account, click on the SAT or ACT course and scroll down to "Evaluation Test" to begin the diagnostic.

In addition to full SAT and ACT prep courses, Methodize also provides a Financial Literacy course, an Academic Success course, vocabulary builder module, and more!

Methodize Student User Guide

Methodize Student Video

Schreiber Twilight alternative high school is our new partnership with Nassau BOCES. Twilight provides an alternative setting in the late afternoon for students who may benefit from a smaller, more structured environment. Twilight provides students the tools to either return successfully to Schreiber during the day or to complete their high school requirements through Twilight. Twilight students are prepared for post-secondary education or employment upon graduation.

Students attend this Regents-based program in the late afternoon/early evening. Students receive strong academic and social-emotional support, as classes are small and largely student-focused.

Students can enroll in Twilight at any time. Our counseling and administrative team meet regularly with students and parents to discuss Twilight. If you have any questions about Twilight, or if you believe your student might be a candidate, please contact your student's counselor.

Paul D. Schreiber is a Passport for Good school!

Passport For Good is a mobile-friendly web-based platform that simplifies, recognizes, and celebrates your engagement outside of the classroom. It allows you to journal and verify your community service, career development, and participation in extracurricular activities.

To make this transition a success, we need your help. You must first register for Passport For Good - Click the flyer below for the link and QR code to register. Once your account is activated, you are ready to begin using Passport For Good!

Some of Schreiber's clubs and groups have switched to using Passport For Good, logging their community service and career development hours directly within the platform.

Ask your Counselor if you have questions about Passport For Good.

See below for information:

Hi Parents! Are you familiar with Grown & Flown? This is a great resource for parents of tweens, teens, and young adults - not to mention and excellent survival guide! If you see something here and want to chat about it, let me know!